The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1887-03-19

.Margery," who was known TO be In
high favor with His Majesty. and
against whose keen intelligence CEN
tered the suspicion that in some myster-
ious way she obtained knowledge OF
their contemplated movements, foiled
their cunning. and turned their expect
ed victories into defeat. "Faire Mar
gerry was now their prisoner and prey,
and she alone of all the noble captives
could not be ransomed by money.
A grim Council Of Ten decreed her
death, or an alternative from that fate
gained by the betrayal Of her ''com-
rades In arms" With the hope that
she might accede to this latter propo-
sal, she was conveyed to the old abbey
| beneath whose roof we were domiciled,
and placed under the personal guardian
ship of the abbess herself. lest the heart
of nun or holy monk might be touched
with enough of mercy to relax the
heavy hand of vengeance and allow
dangerous foe TO escape. A thick wall
at that time separated the monastery
from the clustered nuns, and in cell
adjoining this wall the fair captive was
placed in vile duress.
IL transpired on particular night
whenthe abbotandabbess had each com
manded special prayers among the
assembled monks and nuns. The
chants and prayers assembled, mixed
with the rolling organ music, but 1T
could not keep out another sound of
mysterious import the sound of hur-
rying feet in the entrance halls, and
the deposit Of the castle plumber with
in the abbey for safe keeping. A
whisper went around that a noble
captive was prisoner of the abbey,
but no prying questions were answered
nor indeed were any asked.
One day Brother Cecil-whose voice
rose in the chants like a silver-toned
fiute--was passing the corridor when
the fair captive's cell door was mo-
mentarily opened. What vision greet
ed his wondering eyesl Cloths of gold
hung from the walls in rich profusion I;
notified skins strewed the floor. But
the fairest object of all was Margery
herself, standing in the midst of this
barbaric splendor, with pale and reso-
Lutte face and heroic light shining
from her beautiful eyes. Brother Cecil
thought in his heart that such
face with nimbus painted
around the brow might well be
framed as the pictured face of a
saint. A strange thrill of sympathy
went out from his soul TO the captive
on the other side of the wall as he
thought of the rare vision, and when
TO his ears one day there came a faint
sound Of tapping against the solid
masonry which thenceforward contin-
! ued intermittently-but most assidu-
ously of all during chapel or refectory
hours, where there was noise of chants
I to drown it--he was impelled by a
strange temptation TO help the fair
prisoner by digging away his side of
the wall.
Yielding to the tempter, he went TO
the abbot one day with confession.
He was carving an image of the Wiz.
gin, he saba thank offering; but
thinking he might prove unworthy OF
the gracious task his heart had well
] nigh failed him. and he therefore beg
ged the holy fathers approving bless
! ing. From that time forward Brother
r Cecil worked steadily at the task of
scraping away the division wall, inn
5 PEELED by an irresistible sympathy for
:. the unknown captive. What was the
A mystery OF that captivity? He did not
I know. He only knew that his "heart
3 was worn with the beating of hands
A against a relentless barrier" hands
2 whose weakness compelled his out
4 stretched aid, as far as in him lay.
e But the day came at length when
e no registering struggles for liberty re-
i corded themselves upon the adaman-
a tine wall. Complete silence reigned
{ Brother Cecil was puzzled. Did the
silence auger good or illY Whatever
: portent lowered in the atmosphere
d when the hour Of twilight came, the
G good monk sought the abbot's permits.
T sion 10 stand guard as sentinel that
e night without the turreted walls. AZ
starlight his voice rang out across the
I paved courtyard, informing the hour
with the watchwords, "All's well" In
long and measured cadence. At nine
h at ten, at eleven, the silver voiced cal
y was repeated, as II no whisper Of
8 tragedy was near. Leaning against
an angle of the building, Ceci
!. wondered what might be the
fate of the fair captive within
A It's walls. Suddenly his eyes were di
rected upwards toward the UNCOVERED
n tower. Was IL the night-wind which
Z rnoyed the ivy al mvgtqrioualv or aon.